Block system for railways.



um 695,648. Patented Mar. I8, 1902. s. c. HOWELL.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

(A mazmn mea mm 13, 1899.)

( B n 2 Sheets-Shqet l.

7L3 Lek/enter;

No. 695,648. Patanted Mar. 18, I902.

' B. C. ROWELL. v

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RA'ILWAYS. (Application filed Feb. 13, 1899.) (NoModel.) 2 Sheets$haet 2.

UNITED STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

BENTON O. ROVVELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROl/VELL POTTERSAFETY STOP COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORA- TION OF MAINE.

BLOCK SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,648, dated March18, 1902. Application filed February 13 1899. Serial No. 705,432. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENTON O. ROWELL, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Block System forRailways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had-to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which 7 Figurelis an elevation of apparatus for use on steam-railways for counting thetrains and controlling the signals. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig; 4 is a diagram which clearlyillustrates myinvention.

, On single-track railways it is desirable that a train on leaving aturnoutshould set a signal to danger at the next turnout ahead in orderto prevent. opposing trains meeting between turnouts, and to do this ina practical way it is necessary that each train that runs over a sectionshould not only set the signalat the next turnout in its front todanger, but should also shift that signal to safety when it reaches thatturnout, and, moreover, all this must be done in such a manner thatseveral trains may run in succession over the section, each taking partin shifting the signal to safety, but the last one alone completing thechange and giving a right of way to opposing trains over that section.

My invention relates to block systems of this class; and it consists inan improved ap: paratus comprising signals, (including all forms ofblocking appliances,) one at one end and the other at the other end ofthe section of track to be blocked, two circuits, one for each signal, astep-by-step apparatus controlling both the signal-circuits, and meansby which each train operates that step-bystep apparatus one step; buteach train running in one direction operates'the step-by-step apparatusin one direction and each train running in the opposite directionoperates the step-by step apparatus in the opposite direction, so thateach train will by the automatic action of the same step-by-stepapparatus control both signalcircuits, as will be made clearer by thefollowing description of the preferred form of my improved apparatusshown in the drawings. I

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I have shown the preferred' form of apparatus foruse when my head blocking system is used on steam-railroads, and inthese figures the magnets F F actuate the step-by-step apparatus, whichconsists of pawls R R and ratchets r 7", the pawls being carried by alever 1' This lever also carries the armature r of the magnets F F, sothat when magnet F attracts its armature the lever T will be moved andpawl R'will move its ratchet 1" one step, and so on as often as magnet Fis energized by successive electrical impulses. When magnet F attractsits armature, lever 1' will be moved in the opposite direction and pawlR will move its ratchet 4 one step, and so on as,

often as magnet F is energized by successive electrical impulses. Bothratchets are fast to disk f, of insulating material, which is pressedupon by spring-jaws s s, which are the positive and negative terminalsof a cir cuit through magnet 8 and this magnet s when energized by thepresence of connector s between jaws s s shifts its signal to safety andwhen not energized (by moving connector 3 from between jaws s and .5)causes the signal to be moved to danger by any desired mechanism orforce.

The operation in detail and with particular reference to Fig. 4 is asfollows: A train leaving turnout X and passing signal A,then

at safety, first short-circuits track-battery d and deenergizes magnetD,whose armature.

drops and connects k and thereby making the circuit through the coil ofmagnet F and moving disk f one step and in a direction to carryconnector 3 on disk j clear of jaw s of the circuit through magnet s ofsignal A and shifting signal A to danger but the motion of disk f-onestep in that direction carries connector 8 one step farther between thejaws s s of the circuit through magnet s ofrsignal A, leaving signal Aat safety, in order that a following train may run from turnout X ontosection Y The second train from X onto Y moves disk f a second step inthe same direction, and a third train following the second moves disk fa third step in the same direction. When the first train of these threeleaves section Y and before it runs onto turnout X, it short-circuitstrackbattery (1' and denergizes magnet D, thereby making the circuitthrough magnet F and moving disk fone step back; but this first backstep of disk f does not carry connector 3 clear of either jaw s s ofcircuit of signal A, nor does it carry connector .9 into contact witheither jaw s s of circuit of signal A The second train before leavingsection Y moves disk f back a second step, and the third train leavingsection Y moves disk f back a third step, and thereby restores disk fand connector :5 to the position shown in the drawings and shifts signalA from danger to safety.

While a single traclcbattery d or d and a single magnet D D at each endof the section of track Y would answer so far as the present inventionis concerned, yet I have shown two track-batteries and two magnets ateach end of section Y for the reason that in practice they are used forother purposes which need not here be described.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a railway block system thecombination of two blocking appliances; two circuits one controllingone, the other controlling the other, blocking appliance; and astep-by-step apparatus controlling both those circuits.

2. In a railway block system the combination of two blocking appliances;two circuits, one controlling one, the other controlling the other,blocking appliance; a step-by-step apparatus controlling both thosecircuits; and means by which the step-by-step apparatus is actuated onestep in one direction by an entering train and one step back by adeparting train.

BENTON C. ROVELL.

Witnesses:

Donn E. FELT, Louis A. DE BERARD.

